Method of and apparatus for treating oil wells



Jan. 5, 1932. w w. AGNEW 1,839,632

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OIL wELLs Filed June 26, 1930 lllllllllll llwffllurvll 0 O O O O O O O4 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O ramadan. s, 1932 V 1,839,682

, l" UNITED srATa-s PATENT oFr-fica wmunt wfaeirsw, or ramas LANDING, rms'znvmu. Assxanon or v rnacmr'rromnnaviaor mmanxas im'inon or nm urmrus ron 'rmwrmd on. wnLLs Application ma niney as, isso. in.

My invention relates to a method of and tions. yFor exam 1e, in the case of the steam apparatus for treating oil wells, and more jet, the steam in owing to the bottom of the particularly to the softening of parallin wax Iwell suffers a loss in tem erature and bewhich frequently accumulates in ythe oilcomes condensed, and furt ermore, becomes bearing strata and retards or prevents flow `cooled through contact with the sides of the of oil to the pump valve. v well at the bottom thereof, causing an accu- My invention has for its object the provivmulationl of fresh water in the hole. sion ofmeans for more effectively softening In practising my method, the pum rods and' removing the paraffin than by various =9 and theI valves 7 and 8 are remove from lo systems heretofore employed, and in a simthe tubing6, whereu on an electric .heatin ple and inexpensive manner, without danger elementll is lowere into the tubing until of injuriously afectin the well. 'it reaches. approximately the bottom of the One manner in whic my invention may be well, at ,the strainer pi 10. Usually, there practised is shown in the `,accompanying is an accumulation o water or 'oil in the .I drawings wherein Figure 1 is a vertical secbottom of the well in which'the heatin elel tional view of the lower portion of a well, ment 11 is immersed, so that such li i will with the pumping apparatus in position lbecome heated to a temperature at which the therein; Fig. 2 is a view showing theworkparailin is liquefied and can be pumped from ing valve and the standingi valve of Fig. 1 the well with the oil and water.

- removed, andmy heating evice in position The heating device 11 has a casing 12 withfor treating the well; Fig. 3 is a 4vertical secin which a series of annularly-airanged elec-' tional view, on an enlarged scale, of the heattric resistor elements are su ported. A series in device of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a view 'of perforated` spacing blocllisli, 15 and 16, ta en on the line IV-f-IV of Fig. 3.` which may be of slate or other suitable insu- The oil-bearing strata or sand at or near lating material, serve to maintain and sup- 7 v the ,bottom of the well isindicated by the port the heatin elements 13 in spaced rela-1 numeral 5 while the numeral 6 indicates the 'tion to one anot er. working barrel portion within which a y f A vconductor blocl; 17 is set within a Arestandingvalve 7 and al working valve 8 are cess in the upper side of theinsulating block .30 located. The workinrlg1 valve 8 is operated 14, land a conductor block 18 is set within a n 75 by a Sump rodv 9. e parts thus far derecess in the underside of the insulating block scribe may be of various well-known stand- 16. yThe upper ends of the resistor bars 13 ard formsof pumping ap aratus. lare connected to. the conductor block ,17, and

When hardened para accumulates in :the lower` ends thereof are connected `tlithe the oilbearing strata 5, it of course obstructs block 18. A conductor. 23 extends through .30

flow of oil to the strainer pi e or anchor vthe central ortionsof the blocks 14, 15 and pipe 10 that is connected to an disposed be- '16, and is e ectrically connected at its lower neath the working barrel of the pump. end tothehblockllS. y Thereupon it becomes necessary to break up r.Afcable 19 leads'- `from a sourceofelectrical 40 or remove the accumulated paraiin. Hereener fat the top of the well and contains 35 tofore, various means have been employed con uctors 2Q and 21. The conductor 20 is for opening up the yoil-bearin strata at the connected to the u per end of the conductor bottom of the V'well as by s ooting or by 23, vwhile the 'con uctor 21 is connected to directing a steam jet into such strata. Both the block `17 y The current will therefore flow of these systems are open to various objec-f througli'the conductor 20, the conductor 23, oo

moved from the block 18, resistors 13, block 17 and the conductor 21 to effect heatin of the liquid and hence of the paratlin. A fting rod or cable 22 is provided for lowering the heating device 12 into the well and for removing it therefrom.

The casing 12 is provided with screw caps for protecting the conductor members wit in the casing, and which nevertheless permit convenient access to the interior of the casing. The central conductor 23 is shown as having lugs 24 struck out therefrom to maintain the spacing blocks at proper vertical positions. l

When the heating device 12 has been repump tubing, the valves 7 and 8 and the pump rod 9 may then be placed in position and pumping operations a ain started, the paraliin of course being sti l in liquid form by reason of the heated condition of the well, and hence will be pumped from the well, before it, becomes a ain hardened.

My invention has the furt er advantage that it is unnecessary to pull or remove the pump tubing from the well in order to insert the heater thereby saving not only expense but also de ay.

I claim as my invention 1. A heating device for treating wells and the like, comprising a fluid-tight casing having end portions ofc tapering form, to permit of convenient movement into and from pump tubing, one of said end portions being remova le, an electrical conductor extending through the uppermost end and lower conductor blocks perforated insulating discs in sistor bars connected at their u ends, respectively, to said bloc and each extendlng through a perforation in each of said discs, a connection between the said conductor and one of the blocks, and an electrical conductor connected to the other block.,

2. A. heating device for treating wells and the like, comprising a fluid-tight casing having end portions, one of said end portions being removable, an electrical conductor extending through the uppermost end portion, upper and lower conductor blocks in the casing, perforated insulating discs in the casing, resistor bars connected attheir u per and lower ends, respectively, to said blocks and each extending through a perforation in each of said discs, a connection between the said conductor and one of the blocks, and an electrical conductor connected to the other block, the upp'ortion, upper in the casing, the casing, reper and lower 3. 'A heating device for treating wells and the like, comprising a fluid-tight casing hav- W. W. AGNEW. 

